1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing system and a processing method for processing objects to be processed, e.g., semiconductor wafers, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, in fabrication processes for semiconductor devices, processing systems for performing processing of cleaning, removing resist films etc. on the surfaces of semiconductor wafers (hereinafter called “wafers”) are used. As one example of such processing systems is known a processing system in which processing liquids for processing wafers are kept in processing tanks, and wafers are immersed in the processing liquids. In this processing system, a carrier is moved along a group of one processing tank or more processing tanks, and respective rots of a plurality of wafers are immersed in the processing vessel of the processing vessel group to be processed. The processing vessels arranged in the processing vessel group are chemical liquid vessels respectively containing a plurality of kinds of chemical liquids for cleaning processing, rinse vessels for containing pure water for rinse, or processing vessels for containing a plurality of kinds of processing liquids, etc.
However, in the conventional processing system, when processing vessels which can make the same processing are disposed in a plurality of processing vessel groups, an operator selects a processing vessel group in which one processing vessel to be used is disposed, and prepares a processing recipe. For example, when wafers are continuously loaded into the processing unit for processing, processing vessel groups and processing vessels are selected for the respective rots every time the wafers are loaded. Such recipe preparation by operators is bothering, which very possibly causes judgement delay and mistakes. This is a cause for lowering throughputs. Specifically, a misjudgement that one of a plurality of the same processing vessels is frequently selected, and said one processing vessel is excessively used. A misjudgement that a processing vessel in which a preceding rot is being processed is selected, and a following rot is loaded in the processing vessel before the processing is not completed. This often causes the processing to be again redone or causes an interruption of the processing in the processing system.